Curfew lifted from entire Kashmir Valley

With lifting the curfew coinciding with the separatists’ decision not to call for strike,shoppers flocked markets and business establishments reopened in Srinagar and all major towns of the Valley.

Traffic snarls were seen at many places as people came out to make purchases for Eid-ul-Fitr which will be celebrated either tomorrow or on Saturday,depending on the sighting of the new moon,which marks the end of the fasting month of Ramzan.

Schools,colleges and banks reopened and public transport plied on the streets.

Curfew was imposed in Srinagar city on Tuesday and in Anantnag and Bijbehara towns on Wednesday after violent protests broke out in these areas over the killing of four persons allegedly in police firing at Palhalan in Pattan area of Baramulla district,30 kilometres from here,on Monday.

Several incidents of stone-pelting and arson were also reported from different parts of Srinagar and Budgam districts late last evening.

“Some miscreants torched a car at Ompora in Budgam district,” the spokesman said.

A 55-year-old civilian,identified as Ghulam Mohammed Guroo,was injured during a stone pelting incident at Bemina,the spokesman said.

A youth was injured when security forces fired pellets to disperse an unruly mob at Telbal on the outskirts of the city last evening. Bilal Ahmad Bhat has been admitted to a hospital,the spokesman said.

He said an alleged stone pelter,Showkat Ahmed Khan was injured when he was hit by a plastic pellet fired by security forces to chase away a mob at Beehama in Ganderbal district.

Another youth was injured under similar circumstances in Chattabal area of the city,he said.

The Kashmir Valley has been rocked by violent protests after the killing of a youth by a tear smoke shell at Rajouri Kadal area of the city on June 11. The fresh unrest has left 69 persons dead.